Apparatus for making malt.



G. J. MEYER APPARATUS TOR MAKING MALT APPLICATION FILED 00117 ver@ for' 19 3@ www A I ...una .l l Il! .lllllll ||v Il Ill I Ill #Zvi ess as G. J. MEYER. APPARATUS FOR MAKING MALT. APPLIGATION FILED 00T. 17, 1908.

936,01 Patented oet. 5, 1909.

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G. J. MEYER. APPARATUS POR MAKING MALT @W :UZ @gj Ej. l.

GEORGE J'. MEYER, 0F BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

APPARATUS FOR MAKING MALT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 5, 1909.

Application filed October 17, 1908. Serial No. 458,217.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE J. MEYER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Apparatus for Making Malt, of which the following is a specification.

Heretofore malting has usually been effected by tumbling barley or other grain around in rotatable drums or turning the same over periodically by hand or mechanical shovels while the same is supported in thin horizontal layers on a floor or in shallow boxes. None of these systems utilize the overhead space in the rooms of malt houses and therefore are not economical in this respect,

One of the objects of this invention is to utilize this overhead space to the fullest extent and thereby increase the malting capacity of a building of certain dimensions.

My invention has the further object to simplify the means whereby malting is effected so as to reduce the cost thereof and also insure a more thorough mixing of the barley from time to time during the malting operation so as to insure a more uniform product.

In the accompanying drawings consisting of 3 sheets: Figure l is a side elevation representing one form of malting apparatus embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary vertical transverse section of several sections of my improved malting apparatus, on an enlarged scale. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section in line 3 3, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary horizontal section in line 4 47 Fig. 3. Fig; 5 is a diagrammatic side elevation showing a modification of a malting apparatus embodying my invention.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

In its broadest aspect my improved method of malting and the apparatus for carrying the same into effect consists in supporting a charge or batch of barley or other grain in the form of a comparatively narrow upright wall or column through which air of the proper temperature and moisture 1s drawn horizontally from one side thereof to the other. The preferred means for accomplishing this consists in providingV a barley or grain receptacle or chamber A having upright perforated longitudinal walls a, L1 and upright perforated transverse walls c2, c3

and supplying the air to the outer side of one of the longitudinal and the transverse walls and withdrawing the air from the other longitudinal wall. The air may be supplied to the inlet perforations of the malting chamber in any suitable manner but preferably by exposing the walls a containing the inlet perforations to the atmosphere within the building, so that the air is drawn directly therefrom. Before admitting the air to the barley the same may be heated or cooled to the proper temperature and moistened as required to produce the desired effect upon the barley through which it is drawn horizontally. The air is withdrawn from the malting chamber by means of a main conduit C which is connected with an exhaust fan B, as shown in Fig. l, or an exhausting device of any other suitable character. l/Vhen a plurality of such malting chambers are arranged horizontally side by side the adjacent out-let sides of two adjacent chambers are connected by a single branch air outlet conduit b with the main conduit C, as shown in Figs. l, 2 and 4. In the absence of any provision to prevent it, a part of the air could make a short cut through the barley at the corners of the end walls a2, a2 and the longitudinal outlet wall al of the chamber at which places only smallA quantities of barley are present and therefore offer less obstruction to the passage of air, thereby permitting more air to pass through the body of the barley at these places and cool the same unduly. To prevent` the air from thus passing directly through the shallow or thin parts of the body of barley at the outlet corners thereof, the adjacent part of the malting chamber is made imperforate or solid, this being preferably effected by employing solid bai-He plates c to form the end air inlet walls of the malting chamber adjacent to the corner between the same and the longitudinal outlet wall thereof, as shown in Figs. l, 2 and 4. By this means the air drawn can not be drawn in excess quantities through the inner corners of the body of grain but is directed away from said corners, thereby avoiding undue cooling of the same and insuring uniformity in the germination of the barley and the malt resulting therefrom.

The barley to be malted is delivered through a spout D into the upper end of the malting chamber and after the same has remained in this chamber a suiiicient length of time it is discharged therefrom at the lower' end thereof. As the barley germinates in each malting chamber it swells and requires more room than when first -placed in thisl chamb er.

becoming matted or packed in theuchamber, a movable follower 1s provided for the lower A end tof each malting chamber which is preferably mounted in the lower end ofthe malt- 'ing chamberso as to be vertically adjustable therein, and which is composed of a hori- 4zo'ntal bottom c which extends horizontally 'acrossthe `entire malting chamber, and vertica'lsides or shutters c1 extending downwardly from the transverse and longitudinal edges of v'the bottom, as shown in Figs. 2 and 8. i/Vhen the barley is first put into the maltling chamber the adjustable follower is raised into its highest position or nearly so, vas shown at the 'left of Fig. 2, andas the barley gradually swells this follower is lowered gradually, as shown in the intermediate chambers in Fig. 2, whereby additional room 'is provided in the malting -chamber which permits of this swelling of the barley and prevents the matting or packing of the same which otherwise would occur. While the follower is in its `elevated position in the ma'lting chamber, its shutters 0r sides el move across and close those portions of the perforated transverse and 'longitudinal walls a, al, e2, e3 which for the time being are not in use, 'thereby vpreventing air from passing `through 'the same and the lower part of the chamber. Any suitable means may be provided for thus raising and lowering the follower. The means for vthis purpose shown in the drawings, consist of a plurality of upright screw shafts F which are journaled at their upper ends in bearings within the malting chamber while their lower ends work in screw nuts on the follower, and a horizontal adjusting shaft Gr having a lhandle g out- 'side of the malting chamber and connected within the latter with the upper end of each screw shaft by means of a pair of intermeshing bevel gear wheels g1. Upon discharging the barley from the lower end of oneof the malting chambers the same may be delivered by a spout D1 into the upper end of a similar chamber arranged immediately below the same, as shown in Figs. 1 3. After the transfer of the barley from an upper to a lower malting chamber has been thus effected, communication between the same may be cut off by a suitable valve device. lf desired, the follower may be utilized y to perform the function of avalve or cut 'ofi' for thispurpose by lowering the same below the lower end of the malting chamber, as shown at the right of Fig. 2, whereby the :malt is permitted to flow downwa'rdly around the vfollower from van upper to a lower malting chamber and by raising the follower so that its bottom e is in line with 'or 'above the 'lower end of the malting chamber, this end of the malting chamber is closed and cut o from the next lower chamber, as shown at the left of Fig. 2. During kthe movement of the barley from one chamber to another the same is agitated, stirred or mixed so that the barley upon reaching the lower compartment 'does not occupy the same relative position which 'it did in the upper compartment, thereby insuring a more uniform germination of the same. After the barley has been thus discharged from 'an upper to a lower compartment the follower is again 'raised into a position in which vit closes the lower end of the respective malting chamber preparatory to :filling i,the same with another batch of 'barley. Tf desired, additional transverselysliding valves 'H lmay be employed in each supply spout, chute, hopper or spout D, D1 immediately 'above' the gearing g1 so as to cut off the dead 'air space in these spouts from "the m'alting chamber-sand in the outlet of the llo'xve'rmost chambers. As the barley is discharged from the lowermost compartment of any one of the vertical tiers the same may be delivered into a lower vhorizontal conveyer which latter delivers 'the same to the tfoot olf a'n elevator l, whereby the 'barley is raised into an elevated storage bin or 'hopper K. l Frein the latter the 'barley may then be delivered by means of an upper 'horizontal conveyer L to the uppermost one of any of the lvertical tiers of malting chambers 'each of which maybe connected with or disconnected from the upper conveyer by a slide 'valve I-l-,as shown in Figs. l, 2 and 3 or by 'any other suitable means.

When the apparatus is 'in full working condition the operation of malting is going on in the several ma'lting chambers of each tier but lthe barley in each successive lower chamber is advanced 'one stage in the operation o'f malting beyond that in the chamber above Ithe same. As each lower chamber is emptied of its contents the saine is filled with the barley from4 the chamber next above the same, whereby vthe barley is caused to beadvanced yfrom one malting chamber to another and is 'thoroughly vmixed while being transferred, thereby causing ythe same to germinate uniformly and insuring a superior product. Y

The ordinary operation of malting barley requires about six days time and can there- 'fore be effected by treating a batch of barley six days in succession in a malting chamber of my improved construction by changing and 'mixing vthe barley about once each day.

As shown -in Fig. l, each tier comprises three ma-lting chambers, whereby a batch of barley can be malted by successively Vpassing lthe same twice downwardly through the same tier or through two different tiers of chambers. If the height of the building permits, each tier may contain siX or more malting chambers, thereby enabling a batch of barley to be malted from the time it enters the uppermost compartment of a tier to the time it leaves the lowermost compartment of the same tier. By thus successively dropping a batch of barley which is being malted from one compartment to another' and mixing the same during this transferring operation the mechanism for effecting the malting is much simplified and the cost is materially reduced, inasmuch as no special mechanism is required for this purpose and no power is consumed because the transfer and mixing is effected by gravity. `When the height of the building does not permit of arranging one malting compartment or chamber above another, the same may be arranged side by side, as shown in Fig. 5, and the transfer of the malt from the lower end of one malting chamber into the upper end of the next chamber may be effected by an elevator' M, as shown in this figure.

The drying of the moist germinated grain for completing the malting operation is effected by successively passing the grain or barley, after the germinating process, from one malting chamber to another as the ,drying of the same' progresses, it being necessary at this time to omit moistening of the air and instead raise the temperature of the air which is supplied to the malting chambers so as to facilitate the drying of the grain or malt. TWhen the malting chambersare thus used for drying the germinated grain the followers at the lower ends thereof are raised successively for adjusting the capacity of the chamber to the shrinkage of the grain during the drying operation.

l claim as my invention:

l. A malting apparatus comprising an upright rectangular malting chamber having perforated side inlet and outlet walls and perforated end walls and adapted to contain a body of grain, and means for causing a current of air to flow through said chamber and body, said chamber having imperfoate portions adjacent to the corners between its air outlet wall and its end walls.

2. An apparatus of the character described comprising a stationary upright chamber adapted to contain a body of grain, and a vertically movable follower arranged in the lower part of said chamber.

3. A malting apparatus comprising an upright perforated rectangular malting chamber adapted to contain a body of grain, and a vertically movable follower arranged in said chamber.

Ll. A malting apparatus comprising an upright perforated rectangular malting chamber adapted to contain a body of grain and having an inlet at its upper end and an outlet at its lower end, and a vertically movable follower arranged in the lower part of said chamber.

5. A malting apparatus comprising an upright perforated rectangular malting chamber adapted to contain a body of grain and having an inlet at its upper end and an out let at its lower end, and a vertically movable follower arranged in the lower part of said chamber and operating to open and close the outlet of said chamber.

6. A malting apparatus comprising an upright perforated rectangular malting chamber adapted to contain a body of grain and having an inlet at, its upper end and an outlet at its lower end, and a vertically movable follower arranged in the lower part of said chamber and having a horizontal bottom which extends horizontally across the space within said chamber and shutters depending from said bottom and engaging with the inner sides of the opposite inlet and outlet walls of the chamber.

7. A malting apparatus comprising an upright perforated rectangular malting chamber adapted to contain a body of grain and having an inlet at its upper end and an outlet at its lower end, a vertically movable follower arranged in the lower part of said chamber, and means for raising and lowering said follower.

8. A malting apparatus comprising an upright perforated rectangular malting chamber adapted to contain a body of grain and having an inlet at its upper end and an out-- let at its lower end, a vertically movable follower arranged in the lower part of said chamber, and means for raising and lower` ing said follower comprising an upright screw shaft working in a screw nut on the follower and a transverse shaft connected by gearing with the upright shaft.

fitness my hand this 13th day of October, 1908.

GEORGE J. MEYER. litnesses:

THEO. L. Por?, ANNA .[u'nuus. 

